Stem-picker



E. C. HORST.

STEM PICKER.

APPLICATION FILED 1AN.28. 1920.

Patented July 27, 1920.y

fig-2.4 7

the accompanying EMIL CLEMENS HORST, 0F FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

STEM-PICKER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J uly'27, 1920.

`Appliaitiunl filed January 2s, 192m seria1 No. 354,725.

T0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, EMIL CLEMnNsHoRsr,

a citizenof the United States, residing kat the city and county of San Francisco and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and usefulv Improvements in Stem-Pickers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a stem picker and especially 'to a machine Vfor separating stems from hops and the like. f

Picking of hops by machinery is resorted to at the present time in several of the larger hop; growing districts and is becoming more and more anecessity due tothe scarcity of labor and troubles connected therewith. Hops picked in this manner contain va considerable quantity of leaves and stems and other foreign matter, the major portion of which are removed by separators of various types. It happens however that while the leaves are comparatively easily removed that there still remains aconsiderable quantity of stems and it is the purpose of the present invention to provide a machine which is particularly adapted for removing the stems. y Y v The invention briefly stated involves a longitudinally extending inclined draper belt from the surface of which projectsa The hops, from which it is series of pins.

are` delivered desired to remove lthe stems,

tooneend of this draper belt and will, dur-A ing the travel of said belt, tend to roll voff the belt and to a conveyer which removes them from the stem picking machine, stems` and other similar material being hung up on the pins and later removed as willnhereinafter be described.

The invention also involves a vmechanism for maintaining the draper in a state of continuous vibration thereby insuring a perfect removal of the hops deposited thereon While in no Vway impairing the action of the stem separating mechanism. f n Y The invention further consists of the combination and hereinafter fully described and claimed, having reference to drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of the stem picking machine. Y'

Fig. 2'is a cross sectional end view.

Fig. 3 is a detail view ofthe chains and one of the slats by which the draper belt is supported. Y i

- Fig. 4 is an end view of one ofthe beaters Awhereby vibratory movement is transmitted to the draper belt.

Referring to the drawingsin detail, Aindicates Yan endless draper belt constructed of suitable material'suchas canvas and the like.

This belt is vsecured ,to a series of slats 2, which in turn are'` secured to a pair of endless sprocket chains B-carried yby sprockets 4 and 5 secured `on respective shafts indicated at 6 and 7. The draper belt when driven travels-in the direction of arrow A (see Fig. 1) and is so supported as to present a comparatively steep inclined surface throughout its length upon which the hops to be separated are delivered by means of a conveyer or other suitable means indicated sprockets 4 and 5, the endless sprocket chains 3 and the draper belt A, are supported in journals 9 which in turn are secured or carried by a main frame 10. Power is transmitted to the shaft by means of a beveled gear train 11 which in turn is driven by means of a vertically disposed shaft 12 and a pulley 13. Also supported by the main frame 1() are alined bearing members 14 and 15, and journaled in each pair of bearing members are shafts 16 upon which are secured beater arms 17. Theshafts 16 are revolved at a comparatively high speed and will therefore cause the ends of the beaterat 8.' The shafts 6 and 7 ksupporting the l i arms 17 to engage the slats 2 supporting the l, draper belt and thereby impart aj vibratory movement which is very essential as will hereinafter be described; the shafts 16 being driven by means of a chain 17 from shaft '6 or any other suitablel means.

Secured to veach cross slat 2 are a series of upwardly projecting pins 18. These pins are provided for the purpose of catching the stems contained in the hops inasmuch as they form obstructions upon which the stems are caught Vwhen deposited on the draper A. The pins are preferably spike like in formation and they will therefore not Y form anyfmaterial obstruction to the free escape of the hops. Journaled at the opposite end of the draper A is a shaft 19 upon 4which is secured a series of ngers 20. The

shaft 19 is also driven from the shaft 6 as shown at 21'by means of a chain or the like and will. during its revolution serve as a comb or cleaner whereby the stems hung up or caught ,byv the pins 18 are removed, that is, the projecting arms 2O secured on4 shaft 19 will during the revolution of the shaft 19 pass between the pins 18 as they reach the end of the draper and they will therefore serve as the fingers'of a comb or cleaner which continuously removes the stems as they accumulate. Y

The operation of the machine will be as follows The hops to be cleaned are delivered to the draper A bymeans of a conveyer 8, continuoiis movement of the draper A and vibration imparted thereto by means of thev beater arms 17 will cause the hops toroll downwardly over the surface of the draper during its travel iii the direction of arrow (A). They will find comparatively little resistance to a free discharge in this direction as the pins are spike-like and rounded and Vwill therefore permit the hops to roll freely Vbetween the same. In fact all hops will have escaped from the draper before the opposite end is reached. The hops in rolling off the draper A are received by a chute or deflecting plate 22 which delivers them to a conveyer 23, this conveyer removing the cleaned hops as they dischargeand conveying them to any4 point desired. Stems or other simi tirely automatic in operation when once started as no adjustment or attention of any nature is required due to the simplicity of Vthe mechanism and the automatic operation ofthe same. j

While certain structural features are here more or less specifically illustrated, I wish it understood that various changes in shape, proportions andthe design may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims, similarly that the materials and finish of the several parts employed may be such as the experience and judgment of the manufacturer may dictate or various conditions may demand.

v Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is* l. An apparatus for separating hops from associatedleaves and stems, said apparatus including a woven' close surfaced endless belt, transverse slats upon which the belt is fixed, a sprocket chain on either side by which the slats and beltare supported Vand moved in the direction of its greatest length, sprocket gears at each end of the sprocket chain, shafts supporting said sprocket wheels, said shafts being inclined laterally with relation to the travel'of the belt to permit the belt t0 assume anl inclined lateral position, pins projecting upwardly from the slats through the belt surface to entangle and carry leaves and stems along with thevbelt while allowing the hops to roll down thetransverse incline between the pins and to discharge from the lower edge of the belt.

2. A stem picking-machine comprising a comparatively long endless draper belt, said belt being laterally inclined with relation to its path of travel, means for delivering the material to be separated to one end ofthe belt, and means on the belt for obstructing the passage of stems. I

3. A stem picking machine comprising a comparativelylong endless draper belt,said belt being laterally inclined with relation to its path of travel, means for transmitting Va continuous travel movement to the belt,

means for imparting a vibratory movement lto the belt while trave-ling, means for delivering the material to be separated to one end Vof the belt, and means on the belt forobstructing the passage of the stems.

4. A stem picking machine comprising a comparatively long endless draper belt, said belt being laterallyy inclined with relation to its path of travel,'means for transmitting a continuous travel movement to the belt, means for imparting a vibiatory movement to the belt while traveling, means for delivering the material to be separated to one end of the belt, means on the belt forob- Ystructing the passage of the stems, and

means at one end of the beltfor removing thestems. Y Y 1 5. A stem picking machine comprising a comparatively long endless draper belt, said belt being laterally inclined with relation-to lits path of travel, means for transmitting a continuous traveling movement to the belt,

beater armsengageablewith the underside of the belt to transmit a Vibratory movement thereto, aV series of pins projecting from the surface of the belt, Imeans for delivering'hops to the belt and means at one end of the belt for yremoving stems and like material caught by the pins during the passage of hops over the surface of the belt.

6. A stem pickingmachine comprising a comparatively long endless draper belt, said belt Ybeing laterally inclined with relation to its path of travel,'slats extending crosswise of the belt, a sprocketfchain on each side of the beltv to which the slats are secured, sprockets supporting thefchains and driving the draper belt, p'ins projecting from the slats through the surface of the belt, means for delivering hops to one end of the belt, said hops adapted to travel laterally across the belt when delivered thereto, due

the draper belt to assist the lateral travel of the hops across the belt, and means for automatically removing hop stems hung up on the proj ectingpins. Y

7. A stem picking machine comprising a comparatively long endless draper belt, said belt being laterally inclined with relation to its path of travel, slats extending crosswise of the belt, a sprocket chain on each side of the belt to which the slats are secured, sprockets supporting the chains and driving the draper belt, pins projecting from the slats through the surface of the belt, means for delivering hops to one end of the belt, said hops adapted to travel laterally across the belt when delivered thereto, due to the inclined position of the belt, means for transmitting a vibratory movement to the draper belt to assist the lateral travel of the hops across the belt, and means for automatically removing hop stems hung up on the projecting pins, said means comprising a shaft disposed at one end of the draper belt and fingers on said shaft adapted to pass between the pins on the draper belt and thereby remove hop stems caught or hung up on the pins.

8. A stem picking machine comprising a comparatively long endless draper belt, said belt being laterally inclined with relation to its path of travel, slats extending crosswise of the belt, a sprocket chain on each side of the belt to which the slats are secured, sprockets supporting the chains and driving the draper belt, pins pijojecting from the slats through the surface of the belt, means for delivering hops to one end of the` belt, said hops adapted to travel laterally across the belt when delivered thereto, due to the inclined position of the belt, beater arms engageable with the slats adapted to transmit a vibratory movement to the draper belt to assist the lateral travel of the hops across the belt, means for auto- `matically removing hop stems hung up on the projecting pins, said means comprising a shaft disposed at one end of the draper belt and lingers on said shaft adapted to pass between the pins on the draper belt and thereby remove hop stems caught or hung up on the pins, means for removing the hops after the stems have been separated therefrom, and means for driving the stem cleaning shaft in unison with the draper belt.

9. In a hop and leaf separating apparatus of the character described, an endless traveling belt fixed to transverse slats which have pins projecting above the belt surface, sprocket chains and sprocket shafts journaled at a comparatively stee incline transverse to the line of travel o sprocket chains supporting the slats and belt to cause this to assume an inclined position transversely with relation to its direction of travel, transverse shafts journaled below the belt surface, beater arms secured on the shafts, and means forV revolving the shafts to cause the beater arms to strike the belt slats and thereby transmit a vibratory movement to the belt.

10. In a hop and leaf separating apparatus of the character described, an endless traveling belt fixed upon transverse slats, pins secured on said slats and projecting through, the belt surface, sprocket wheels and chainsto which the slats are secured and by which the belt is moved, said sprocket wheels and shafts being disposed on a comparatively steep incline to cause the belt toV assume a steep inclined position laterally with relation to the direction of travel, means engageable with the slats supporting the belt adapted to transmit a'vibratory movement thereto and means at one end of the belt for automatically removing leaves and stems adhering to the pins.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EMIL CLEMENS HORST. Witnesses:

J ouN HQ HERRING, W. W. HEALEY.

the belt, said 

